Mediabistro.com Presents Small Screen, Big Picture


Book Description

Take On Hollywood and Make It as a Television Writer. From mediabistro.com, the media industry’s most well-respected source for jobs, professional development, and community, this inside-the-business guide gives you the knowledge and tools you need to infiltrate Hollywood and land a job as a TV writer. That’s right—Small Screen, Big Picture gives you a competitive edge over millions of other aspiring writers who share your talent, creativity, and determination . . . because after reading these pages, you’ll have the one thing they lack: an understanding of the business of television. This journey into Hollywood’s inner workings not only details how networks, studios, and production companies work together, it teaches you how the process affects the creation and writing of TV series, how shows make money, and—ultimately—how you can use this information to break into the industry. You’ll learn: • What really goes on in the inner sanctum of the writers’ room—and how to be a part of it • How today’s TV business model works—and how rapidly it’s changing • Who has the power to buy a show idea—and how to pitch your own • How new media formats are changing television—and how to use them to your advantage • Which jobs will kick-start your TV writing career—and how to get hired • And much more . . . Armed with this solid foundation of knowledge, you’ll be ready to plan your entry into the industry and begin your successful TV writing career.




Opening the Doors to Hollywood


Book Description

Finally! A step-by-step guide to the keys that unlock the doors to Hollywood. Opening the Doors to Hollywood has all the information you'll ever need in order to tap into the $500 million spent yearly in Hollywood on acquiring and developing projects. Discover how to: Find a story Rewrite it Option it Package it Pitch it Write it Sell it to film and television companies Complete with a reference section that includes guilds/unions, libraries, sample contracts, seminars and workshops, trade publications, and writers' organizations, Opening the Doors to Hollywood is invaluable to any writer.




Film School Confidential


Book Description

Now completely revised-all there is to know on getting into the right schools and making the experience count. This completely revised edition of Film School Confidential continues to offer the inside scoop on every major film school program in the country. A must-have guide for students who are considering applying to film school, this book provides more than 20 profiles of the best film school programs across the country. Covering such key areas as curriculum, student body, reputation, and employment options for film school grads, the authors provide solid, objective information on each program as well as snippets from interviews with students and faculty members.




So You Want to Be a Producer


Book Description

Few jobs in Hollywood are as shrouded in mystery as the role of the producer. What does it take to be a producer, how does one get started, and what on earth does one actually do? In So You Want to Be a Producer Lawrence Turman, the producer of more than forty films, including The Graduate, The River Wild, Short Circuit, and American History X, and Endowed Chair of the famed Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, answers these questions and many more. Examining all the nuts and bolts of production, such as raising money and securing permissions, finding a story and developing a script, choosing a director, hiring actors, and marketing your project, So You Want to Be a Producer is a must-have resource packed with insider information and first-hand advice from top Hollywood producers, writers, and directors, offering invaluable help for beginners and professionals alike. Including a comprehensive case study of Turman’s film The Graduate, this complete guide to the movie industry’s most influential movers and shakers brims with useful tips and contains all the information you need to take your project from idea to the big screen.




Top of the Morning


Book Description

CNN correspondent Brian Stelter reveals the dark side of morning television with exclusive material about current and past morning stars, from Matt Lauer to Katie Couric. When America wakes up with personable and charming hosts like Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, it's hard to imagine their show bookers having to guard a guest's hotel room all night to prevent rival shows from poaching. But that is just a glimpse of the intense reality revealed in this gripping look into the most competitive time slot in television. Featuring exclusive content about all the major players of the 2000s, Top of the Morning illuminates what it takes to win the AM -- when every single viewer counts, tons of jobs are on the line, and hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Stelter is behind the scenes as Ann Curry replaces Meredith Vieira on the Today show, only to be fired a year later in a fiasco that made national headlines. He's backstage as Good Morning America launches an attack to dethrone Today and end the longest consecutive winning streak in morning television history. And he's there as Roberts is diagnosed with a crippling disease -- on what should be the happiest day of her career. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and discover the dark side of the sun. Praise for Top of the Morning "Mr. Stelter pulls back the curtains and exposes a savage corporate world that might have been inhabited by the Sopranos." -- Washington Times "A troubling look inside an enterprise as vicious and internecine as a soap opera." -- Kirkus Reviews




Save the Assistants


Book Description

"If you're tired, you're poor, and you're a huddled mass of an assistant yearning to breathe free, look no further than Save the Assistants." --Yahoo! "Lilit at Save the Assistants . . . feels your pain." --Marie Claire What happens when nine-to-five turns into nine-to-eleven? How do you outmaneuver the office Underminer? Is it appropriate to have a cocktail at a company lunch? How do you get reservations for a restaurant with an unlisted phone number? What do you do when your boss throws a stapler at your head? As Page Six Magazine recently noted, bosses are "going from mean to monstrous -- and making The Devil Wears Prada look like a love story." What's an office drone to do? Call on Save the Assistants, the addictive and insightful guide to workplace sanity by Lilit Marcus, renowned assistant expert. On your first day at work, you learned how to answer the phone and turn on the computer. But four years of college hardly prepared you for the coffee-fetching, back-stabbing, and you-should-have-done-it-yesterdays of office life. Save the Assistants is here to help you not only survive your job, but ultimately get the career you want.




Creatively Self-employed


Book Description

What's It Like to Live Off Your Talents? If you think that working from home in your pajamas-writing a book, painting a masterpiece or designing a work of art-sounds like a fun, carefree life you're right! In this book, creative types discuss what life is really like when you take the plunge into creative self-employment. From waiting for clients to pay up and battling the "lonelies" to gaining self-assurance and growing your business, you'll get a candid look at authentic living-straight from those who are out there making it happen. This book will show you how to: · Build confidence and self-esteem in your work · Cope with rejection · Handle creative voids and time issues · Combat loneliness and isolation · Deal with anxiety, depression, and stress · Create your own support system · Maintain a strong business Whether you are already your own boss or you're just thinking about it, these stories will give you the strength to succeed in your own creative business. " A must-have for any self-employed creative I devoured each chapter nodding my head again and again in agreement to the quirks, hurdles, and joys of self-employment." CLAUDINE HELLMUTH, author of Collage Discovery Workshop and Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond the Unexpected "A truly useful and informative look at the life of the creatively self-employed. The broad scope of the profiles and advice make this book an excellent resource and source of encouragement." TERA LEIGH, author of Complete Book of Decorative Painting and How To Be Creative If You Never Thought You Could "[This book] is a gorgeous celebration of the creativity and joy of designing your own work life." ANDREA SCHER, certified life coach




Born Reading


Book Description

A program for parents and professionals on how to raise kids who love to read, featuring interviews with childhood development experts, advice from librarians, tips from authors and children’s book publishers, and reading recommendations for kids from birth up to age five. Every parent wants to give his or her child a competitive advantage. In Born Reading, publishing insider (and new dad) Jason Boog explains how that can be as simple as opening a book. Studies have shown that interactive reading—a method that creates dialogue as you read together—can raise a child’s IQ by more than six points. In fact, interactive reading can have just as much of a determining factor on a child’s IQ as vitamins and a healthy diet. But there’s no book that takes the cutting-edge research on interactive reading and shows parents, teachers, and librarians how to apply it to their day-to-day lives with kids, until now. Born Reading provides step-by-step instructions on interactive reading and advice for developing your child’s interest in books from the time they are born. Boog has done the research, talked with the leading experts in child development, and worked with them to compile the “Born Reading Essential Books” lists, offering specific titles tailored to the interests and passions of kids from birth to age five. But reading can take many forms—print books as well as ebooks and apps—and Born Reading also includes tips on how to use technology the right way to help (not hinder) your child’s intellectual development. Parents will find advice on which educational apps best supplement their child’s development, when to start introducing digital reading to their child, and how to use tech to help create the readers of tomorrow. Born Reading will show anyone who loves kids how to make sure the children they care about are building a powerful foundation in literacy from the beginning of life.




The Little Book of Yoga


Book Description

A concise overview of the ancient mind-body practice, covering the poses, history, philosophy, and more. The Little Book of Yoga offers a comprehensive foundation in the practice of yoga. It’s an engaging and approachable volume perfect for yoga lovers of all levels—beginner or advanced, committed or just curious. Beginning with a brief history of yoga and its various styles, Nora Isaacs presents instructions and illustrations for all the major poses. She also goes beyond the poses to discuss yogic philosophy, breathing, meditation, chakras, and more.




Winning by Sharing


Book Description